Tales of Xillia - Hope and Destiny
by YuGiOh-Lover25
Summary: One simple fact can change the course of history, as such, one simple difference can change a story. If Jude was a girl, what would have happened during Milla's story? Would she have had her heart stolen by a mercenary with a heart of gold? And would she have the strength to fight those that threatened her loved ones, even if that were herself? [AlvinxFemale Jude] T rated for now.
1. The Journey is Set

**_Hey everyone, this is my first Tales of Xillia fanfic, and it's been a while since I've played Xillia, I'm busy playing Xillia 2 at the moment actually. I'm using a video playthrough of Xillia to help me with the pacing of the story. In this story, Jude will be a girl, and she will get with Alvin. I had been wanting to write one of Jude being a girl for a while now, but Mage of Hope beat me to it. But I'll still give it a go too. Jude's personality will be changed a little to suit the fact that he's now a she, but other than that, Jude will still act like Jude. Another new think I'm going to be doing is playing on the ringing noise Jude goes through whenever he's in thought. This story will get dark in some spots, but I'll keep the story in the T rating. When I get to the darker chapters I'll warn you about them at the beginning of the chapter. But other than that, sit back and enjoy the recreated story. When this story gets on past 25 chapters, I'll create a second season so it doesn't drag on for too long in one story. I know seeing a lot of chapters can throw a person off reading it. _**

_Tales of Xillia – Hope and Destiny_

_Chapter 1_

_The Journey is Set_

Exiting the classroom quickly, Jude found herself bumping into her classmates. Several of them fell onto the floor as she turned, gasping. Bowing in apology, she turned around, continuing to run. Her long, black hair, which ran to her hips, flowed behind her as she ran down the hallways. She panted as she made her way down to the classroom. Bursting into the room, she immediately bowed in apology.

"I'm so sorry I'm late Professor Haus!" Jude apologized, hearing a chuckle instead. Cautiously lifting her head, she blinked in shock to see Professor Haus straightening some papers in his hands, smiling at her.

"Ah, Jude. I've been called to the Research Centre, by the king himself! I need you to manage the patients today. Prinn will be there too" Haus stated, walking to her and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"A-Are you sure? I mean… I'm just a student…" Jude questioned, looking at him in disbelief. Haus merely laughed in response.

"You'll do fine Jude! If I had my way, you'd no longer be a student anymore, but a full-fledged doctor. Work well today with Prinn and I'll make you my personal assistant" Haus reassured, smiling as he walked out the room with a pile of paper work in his hands. Jude stood there, blinking in shock for a few seconds before she suddenly remembered the piece of paper in her hands.

"Professor! Before you leave, can you sign this?" Jude asked, running after him quickly and handing him the paper. Haus took the paper, looking at it for a second, then signed it, handing it back.

"I've got to go now. You know the way to where Prinn is, don't you?" Haus asked, making Jude in return. Smiling, she watched Professor Haus turn, walking out the medical school. Looking down at the paper in her hand, she slipped it into her pocket, taking off in a sprint down to the room where she knew Prinn was waiting for her. Entering, she saw Prinn look up from the desk.

"There you are! You're late Jude! Again!" Prinn complained, standing up, glaring at her. Jude shied away, stepping back.

"S-Sorry Prinn… I got caught up talking with Professor Haus, he wants us to do today's session on our own. He's been called to the Research Centre" Jude explained, seeing Prinn immediately soften.

"Oh, I see. I wonder if it's about the Professor's research." Prinn wondered aloud. Jude tilted her head, scratching her cheek in confusion.

"Research? You mean… medical research?" Jude asked, seeing Prinn turn to smile at her.

"Yeah. There's a rumour going around that the Professor's research is catching the eyes of the king, and he's going to be given the Howe Prize!" Prinn whispered happily. Jude gasped, smiling back at her.

"Wow, the Professor definitely deserves it! He's been working so hard. Let's make him proud, shall we Prinn?" Jude asked, motivating Prinn as well. She nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, good thing it's a slow day where we normally don't get many patients. Let me go see who's first in line" Prinn stated, stepping out the room as Jude prepared herself for the oncoming amount of patients.

"There, you're all patched up! Just be careful not to strain your mana lobe for a while, okay?" Jude instructed, helping the middle aged soldier up off the bed he'd been laying on. With a smile, she helped him stand.

"Thank you Dr Jude. You're a life saver" thanked the man, smiling at her as she helped him out the room. With a sigh of relief, Jude turned to look at Prinn.

"That was the final patient… Hmm… Professor Haus still isn't back? I wonder what's taking him so long…" Prinn stated, looking at Jude in worry. Jude's smile faded as she became worried as well.

"The research centre should be closed by now… I'll go look for him" Jude suggested, stepping to the back of the room, past the curtain. She changed out of her medical uniform into her black, knee length skirt, white blouse shirt and black and blue jacket. On her feet were black, shin length boots with the tinniest of heels. She used a bright, blue ribbon to tie back her hair into low ponytail. On her hands were black gloves. Stepping out, she flashed a smile at Prinn.

"I'll be back when I find the Professor" Jude reassured her, stepping out the room. She took off in a sprint down the hallway, heading to the exit. Exiting the Medical School, she began running down, past the shops and towards the Research Centre. When she reached the Research Centre, several guards were standing out the front.

"Excuse me? I'm looking for Professor Haus. He came here upon request, but he hasn't come back yet" Jude asked, seeing the guard look at the schedule in his hands.

"Sorry, the Centre is closed. All guests are reported as having checked out… And I don't even see a Haus here on the list. Sorry kid, he's not here" the guard apologized, waving Jude away. Jude sighed, seeing no point in arguing with a guard, and began to turn back. As she was walking though, a breeze of wind caught the form in her pocket, sending it flying over the edge.

"Oh no!" cried out Jude as she ran down the steps towards the water. When she reached the last step, she looked up to see strange blue symbols on the surface of the water, and further down the path of symbols, was a girl. She looked older than Jude, just hitting young adulthood. Her hair was blonde and ran down to her knees. There was one cowlick of hair that sprung out with a green tip. She was wearing a short top and skirt that barely covered what it needed to, and wore large gloves and boots. Between the step and the girl was the note of Jude's that had fallen in the breeze. Taking a deep gulp, Jude stepped onto the platform of blue lights, and walked cautiously to her note, picking it up. Turning to look behind her, she gasped to see the way back was beginning to disappear.

"Whoa!" Jude called out, jumping back a step, catching the girl's attention. Jude turned to look back at her, looking into her magenta coloured eyes and her stern expression.

"Um… hello?" Jude tried calling out, but only saw the girl put a finger to her lips.

"Just stay quiet, and I won't need to hurt you" warned the girl in a whisper. Jude gasped, jumping back a step in fear, but had to stop herself halfway because the path behind her was completely gone. She watched the girl swing her arm, calling forth a great big fireball, sending it straight to the gates under the Research Centre. Jude's jaw dropped in shock. She was breaking and entering?!

"H-Hang on! You could get in serious trouble doing that!" Jude called out, seeing the girl turn to look at her, shushing her again.

"Be quiet, or I'll have to hurt you. You should turn around and go home" the girl hissed, turning back and jumping through the hole she'd created, not even giving Jude a chance to say that her way back had disappeared. Her shoulders fell as she sighed, then gasped, taking off into a sprint for the hole as the symbols under her began to fade away.

Upon jumping through the hole, she looked around. The girl was gone again. She was a strange lady that was for sure. Picking up her feet, she began walking around the centre, fighting the occasional guard until she made it to one of the research rooms. Inside, she stepped through the room carefully. There were strange, large devices filled with some kind of green liquid. As she stepped closer to one, she nearly had a heart attack as hands smacked against the glass from the inside. Jude jumped back, gasping in shock as she saw a familiar face inside it.

"Professor!" Jude yelled, placing her own hands on the glass. The Professor looked like he was in so much agony. Jude could see his eyes open wide, his mouth screaming out in his agony.

"J-Jude! H-Help! Help… me!" she could hear from his muffled talking. Jude gasped, smacking against the glass a few times until she stood there, frozen in horror as his body began to glow. She could hear him screaming in the green liquid, and then he just disappeared. Jude's breath caught in her throat as she stood there, trying to comprehend what had just happened. She'd just witnessed the Professor's death, she'd seen him in his last moments, and she couldn't do a thing to save him.

"No… No! Professor!" Jude screamed out, smacking her fist against the glass. She knew it was futile, that he was gone, and as this sunk into her, she lowered her forehead against the glass, her shoulders trembling.

"What's all this noise about?!" called out a manic voice. Jude looked up, gasping to see a girl with long, silver hair, red eyes and a short, red dress, standing at the top of the stairs. Jude stepped back cautiously, seeing the girl jump down.

"A bug entered the lab? Looks like I need to take you down a notch pipsqueak!" she stated, laughing maniacally. Jude gasped, jumping back before the girl suddenly took out her weapon, pointing the spear tip towards Jude. Jude felt the world crash on her shoulders suddenly. Was this how she was going to go? Taking a deep breath, she readied herself to fight for her life. If she was going to go down, she was going to go down fighting! Seeing that Jude was ready to fight, the girl only laughed more.

"That's more like it! I like the fire in your eyes, even if it is weak!" the girl exclaimed, jumping madly on her feet as if she were running on the spot. Grabbing her weapon tighter, she began swaying back and forth as if she were high on some kind of hallucinogenic drug. Jude gulped, jumping forward at the strange girl, attempting to attack the girl, but with a single swipe of her weapon, Jude found herself on the ground. She'd landed on her shoulder on impact, making it difficult to get up. Looking up in fright, she saw the mad gleam in the girl's eyes. She began wriggling around happily, laughing maniacally. Maybe Jude could use this as her chance to escape?

As Jude turned to try and crawl away, she paused, noticing the strange woman from earlier was standing in the doorway. Was she a part of this too? Turning back to her attacker, Jude saw that the strange, insane girl didn't recognize her.

"What's this? Another pretty, uninvited face? Looks like I'll deal with you first!" called out the insane girl. She began chanting an arte, creating a ring of symbols around her. Jude turned, gasping to see the woman was doing the same thing. However the woman was a lot quicker than the girl in red. A raging fireball flew at the girl in red, sending her flying back. Jude managed to crawl back onto her feet, seeing the woman step further into the room.

"Wow… she summoned that spell so quickly…" Jude whispered in disbelief. But her joy was celebrated too soon, as the crazy girl stood up.

"I'm gonna rip that pretty face of yours to pieces!" she exclaimed, giggling as the strange woman unsheathed her sword.

"I'd prefer you didn't…" she responded, making Jude gasp as she stepped back, getting out of their way. It was over in a matter of seconds, and the crazy girl was laying on the ground, unconscious. Stepping out, she approached the strange woman cautiously.

"Um… Excuse me?" Jude asked, making her turn to look at her.

"What're you doing here? I told you to go home… Don't tell me you live here?" the woman asked, making Jude jump back a step.

"N-No! I just… had no actual way of getting back… I was looking for someone… And… Well… I couldn't save him…" Jude explained, making the woman's stern expression soften.

"You came to save a friend? I see… His mana lobe must've been exhausted and his body deteriorated… These machines suck out all the mana of their subjects, no doubt sending it to an exterior storage somewhere…" the woman explained, placing a hand to her chin in thought.

"Mana extraction? So, they're doing human experimentation?! I thought that was illegal!?" Jude exclaimed, blinking in shock. The woman nodded, turning to walk out the room. Jude gasped, running forward a few steps and grabbing a small part of her glove. The woman turned as Jude looked down shyly.

"Um… I was just wondering… Could I go with you? My other option kind flew out the window with the Professor dying…" Jude asked. The woman smirked, folding her arms across her chest.

"Clever girl. If you stick with the person who saved you, then you won't need any more saving. Very well, as long as you don't get in the way" she stated, making Jude tilt her head in confusion.

"Girl? You don't look that much older than me… I'm Jude Mathis" Jude stated, introducing herself as she held out a hand to the woman. The woman took her hand, giving it a firm shake.

"I'm Milla. Milla Maxwell" Milla stated, smiling at Jude. Jude's eyes widened upon recognizing the name.

"Hm? What's wrong Jude?" Milla asked, tilting her head in confusion this time.

"Maxwell… You have the same name as the Lord of Spirits…" Jude stated, making Milla's expression turn firm.

"That's correct. We are one and the same" she informed Jude, making Jude's eyes widen suddenly.

"What!? You're… You're the Lord of Spirits!? But… You're human!" Jude exclaimed, looking Milla up and down from top to bottom.

"I should hope so, that was the form I assigned for myself after all. It's impossible for me to do anything to the physical world in a spirit's body, so I designed a catalyst to use. As the Lord of Spirits, I decided on a human body as it contains all four elements, fire, water, earth and wind" Milla explained. Jude had managed to understand everything she'd said, but she still found it almost impossible to comprehend.

"So… that thing I saw just then… Was that… Efreet?" Jude asked, scratching her cheek. Milla nodded, but the effect was lost on Jude. She'd been shocked by so much already, she was kinda over being shocked. Not much else seemed shocking anymore now that Milla had confirmed she was the Lord of Spirits.

"We should leave… who knows when that insane girl will wake up…" Milla stated, leading Jude out the room behind her. When they entered the hallway, Jude sighed to herself. Turning to look back at the door, her shoulders fell.

"Professor Haus…" Jude murmured, holding her wrist in her hand. Milla saw this, walking closer to her.

"I take it you were close to this Professor of yours?" Milla asked, making Jude turn to look at her.

"Yeah, he was my teacher for most of my medical school training. He was going to make me his personal assistant soon once I finished the last of my schooling… But now… he's…" Jude explained, her voice trailing off as she looked at the floor sadly. Milla looked down at the ground as well before stepping forward, wrapping her arms around Jude suddenly. Jude froze, blinking at the sudden contact.

"W-What are you doing?" Jude asked, looking at Milla in confusion.

"I'm cuddling you. When humans are upset, you cuddle them to make them feel better" Milla explained, sounding completely oblivious to what she was actually saying.

"Um… where did you hear this?" Jude asked, tilting her head.

"I read it in a book. It was called 'A mother's love, A mother's touch'. Don't tell me this technique has no effect on you? Darn…" Milla explained, making Jude giggle to herself.

"Well, I do feel a bit better. Thanks" Jude thanked, smiling up at Milla. Milla smiled happily.

"So it does work! I'll have to keep that in mind when consoling other sad humans!" Milla stated happily, looking as if she were the one who received the hug. Jude smiled back, deciding to walk on ahead. After walking around for a bit, they finally discovered the external source Milla had been talking about.

"A spyrix weapon. I knew it…" Milla declared, looking at the giant device in the middle of the room. Jude looked around, gasping at the size of it. Stepping towards the machine, she began typing on the keyboard, bringing up a page on the display.

"The Lance of Kresnik? That's the name of the Sage from the Genesis Age!" Jude exclaimed, turning to look at Milla as she saw her swing her arms, chanting an arte. Four beings suddenly emerged from the spell, making Jude gasp.

"Efreet! Undine! Gnome! And Sylph!? The four Great Spirits? So… she really is Maxwell!?" Jude gasped, jumping back to where Milla was standing.

"Listen up! We must destroy that which threatens both man and spirits!" Milla declared, sending the four Great Spirits above the Lance of Kresnik, all linking their powers as they began summoning a powerful arte to destroy the Lance. Jude stepped back, watching in awe at what she was witnessing. Never in the last twenty years had someone been able to summon the four Great Spirits, and Jude was standing here, looking at all four of them in action. Her joy was short lived though, as a hand landed on a button by the Lance. Jude turned to see the crazy girl in the red dress standing there.

"What're you doing here!?" Jude exclaimed, seeing her look up to glare at the two of them.

"You are really starting to make me angry!" she growled, cackling suddenly as she pressed buttons madly on the device. The device suddenly activated, stopping the arte the four were creating, and began sucking up mana around the area. Jude felt a sudden wave of agony rush through her, making her clutch her side weakly as she cried out in pain. Milla did the same, grunting as she looked up at the girl in red.

"Fool! Don't you know this is going to drain you too!?" Milla exclaimed, looking at the girl with a stern glare. The girl just laughed maniacally.

"You're suffering! It's… It's worth it!" she yelled, collapsing back as Jude felt her legs begin to give out on her.

"It's… acting directly on our mana lobes! If we don't find a way to stop it…!" Jude stated, looking up to see Milla begin to walk towards the device.

"This wasn't part of the plan! But it's nothing I can't deal with!" she grunted, continuing to walk forward. Arriving at the device, she reached for the part that had activated when the machine had started.

"Do you know what you're doing!?" Jude called out from where she sat. She felt weak and light-headed. She could hear Milla trying to pull out the device, but it was much too strong. If they didn't succeed soon, both of them would turn into what Professor Haus had turned into, mana particles. Arte chains suddenly appeared around Jude, Milla and the Four as Jude looked up. A sudden ringing in her head made her clutch her head. It was ear piercing and she could feel a throbbing sensation through it.

"Jude, take Milla, and then run!" called out a mix of voices in Jude's head. She looked up, gasping when she realized it was the Four that had communicated with her.

"What? What're you going to do!?" she asked, suddenly being blinded by an explosion of light. She was thrown back onto the bridge, hanging onto the railing to prevent herself from falling onto the ground. Milla managed to dismantle the device finally with a victory cry, however Jude had no time to celebrate. The floor of the bridge began to give way, making Jude gasp as she fell backwards. She managed to cling onto the edge, hanging on for dear life. Milla had been thrown back as well, landing on the ledge opposite of her on the bridge. She attempted to do an arte summon, but gasped when it failed. The bridge under her collapsed and Jude gasped as she saw Milla falling to the water below. Jude closed her eyes, bracing herself before she let go. Falling down that distance into running water was terrifying, as she learnt with her scream as she fell. But she had to help Milla, the Four had entrusted her to her, and she had a feeling Milla was going to need her help now that she didn't have the Four.

**_Not all chapters will be this long, there will be chapters filled with funny skits, some filler, some character building, but this one was long just because it was the opening chapter. Please don't be thrown off by the length of this, and it will gradually grow more diverse and different from the original story. Some parts will probably get skipped or skimmed over, just because there's not much point dwelling on them if there's no difference regardless of Jude's gender. But other than that, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter and I look forward to hearing reviews, etc._**


	2. All Aboard!

**Response to Reviews**

**_Okay, here we go. _**

**_Mage of Hope – It's alright. I would've written one up earlier but I never had the courage, so yeah. Haha. I like to imagine this female Jude as having a little more of a backbone. In what I've seen, of both real life and stories, females are generally more attention seeking from their family, so Jude having parents that are constantly working, probably began her transformation into someone like Alvin a little quicker than what male Jude's would've been. She's more used to using her feminine ways to getting what she wants but she's still shy around men though. She's just a little more used to the real world than the male Jude. _**

**_As for my response to the other reviews and people reading on with questions of their own, I get helpful criticism, really, I do. And I appreciate it more than anyone else, but there's a difference between criticism and nit-picking. If you're going to tell me I'm missing commas in certain areas, then actually give me an example and then how to fix it. Because I know they're missing commas, people have told me before, but the thing is, no one's told me how to fix it yet. I've looked it up, and that hasn't shed any light on the subject either. As for the other things in the review, please remember than this is an adaptation, meaning changes will happen according to the one major change in the story, aka Jude's gender. Female Jude wouldn't have pushed the guard into seeing the roster, and as for the breaking and entering, she went to get the sheet of paper of hers, only to have her way back gone. She had no choice but to go in and follow Milla, or try to escape on her own at least. As for the research centre's name, I didn't know it was Laforte, the video walkthrough I have is of Milla's story, so it only shows me the points where Milla met with Jude, the rest I had to try and remember off the top of my head. But thanks for letting me know, I'll include that in further chapters. And as for Efreet, I assumed that when Milla used the fireball against Agria, Jude caught a glimpse of Efreet. It's really up to the reader's imagination when Jude saw Efreet in Milla's attacks. _**

**_But other than that, my final words to readers is that you please understand that this a fanfic, I will write what I can from the playthrough of clips I have, it doesn't have skits in it though, and will try and remember what I can. If things are missing, it's simply because I can't remember, or it's been changed to suit the adaptation. And if something's wrong grammar wise, first figure out if it's necessary to fix. Like, is it going to be the end of the world if it's not fixed? Then actually explain and give examples with fixing it, please. I have seen and read countless stories, with words missing in sentences, some lines not even making sense, and they get reviews saying 'good story, well written, etc.' meanwhile there's my stories, which the latest ones have hardly any of that stuff wrong, and they get nit-picked. It seems a little unfair in my eyes, and it just kinda puts me off writing. I know this is dragging on, and I do apologize for it, but if you're going to review, at least put one positive thing in it at least to balance the criticism, please. I'm not picking on anyone in particular, and this is not just based at this story, but many others I've written over the past year or so. So please, remember, keep at least one positive thing in your review otherwise I won't even glance at it and it'll be deleted cause I'll see it as nit-picking. Now on with the chapter! Thank you for taking the time to read this, it's super important._**

_Tales of Xillia – Hope and Destiny_

_Chapter 2_

_All Aboard!_

Jude panted heavily, having fished Milla out of the water. Both of them were soaked to the bone. Milla panted, coughing a little as she glanced up at Jude thankfully.

"It's a lot tougher than Undine makes it look…" Milla mumbled, struggling to catch her breath on her hands and knees. Jude smiled down at her, hunched over and clutching her knees. Milla stood, facing Jude directly as her magenta eyes stared into Jude's amber coloured eyes.

"You really have lost the power of the four Great Spirits, haven't you? What're you going to do now? You can't possibly stop them and destroy that device without their help!" Jude exclaimed, making Milla's face become stern as she turned her back to Jude, placing a hand under her chin in thought.

"You have a point Jude… Perhaps if I were to return to Nia Khera, I could re-summon the four" Milla pondered, looking around before turning to face Jude.

"Thank you Jude, you've been a big help. You should go home now" Milla thanked, flashing Jude a smile before she walked up the stairs to begin her journey home. Jude watched her begin to walk away, stepping forward and reaching out a hand.

"Wait!" Jude tried to call out, but Milla mustn't have heard her. Jude sighed to herself, beginning to walk up the stairs herself. When she reached the top though, she froze in shock when she saw a soldier cornering Milla already.

"Halt! You're coming in with me!" called out the guard. Jude gasped, running forward and calling out Milla's name. Milla turned to look at Jude, giving her a stern look.

"How foolish Jude, I told you to go home" Milla scolded, giving her a disapproving look.

"You in cahoots with her?" questioned the guard, turning and suddenly attacking Jude. Jude gasped, jumping out of the way as Milla growled, jumping forward and managing to push the guard away from where Jude had been standing.

"I'm your opponent, remember?" Milla growled, getting her sword out and attempting to swing at the guard, but she failed miserably. Jude gasped, looking at her in shock.

"What!? Haven't you ever wielded a sword before?" Jude questioned, blinking, her eyes wide. Milla glanced at her for a second, before looking back at the guard who was getting ready to attack.

"Of course, but I always relied on the Four to guide my arm. It feels quite different without their help" Milla explained, making Jude sigh to herself. The guard stood ready, about to attack. Jude shook her head to rid herself of second thoughts, and jumped to stand beside Milla.

"I can't believe I'm doing this!" she exclaimed, getting her fists ready to fight. Milla now couldn't protect herself, so it was up to Jude. She still felt conflicted about whether or not she should leave Milla be. Hadn't Milla gotten her in enough trouble already? Shaking all these thoughts aside, Jude decided to live in the here and now. The guard darted forward, but Jude jumped around his spear, slamming her fist into his face. He fell back, stumbling but Jude had already closed the distance between them. Striking with her fist again, she got him in the gut. Doubling over, Jude raised her leg up high and slammed it against the back of the guard's head, sending him straight into the ground. The guard stopped moving, having been knocked unconscious. Milla approached Jude, smiling thankfully.

"You saved me again Jude, thank you. I should hurry and return to Nia Khera" Milla thanked, walking ahead towards the Town Square. Jude looked at her retreating figure, then looked down at the ground.

"The City entrance is always crawling with guards. You'd be safer going to the seaheaven" Jude informed her. Milla turned to look at Jude, then turned back to face the other way, looking around curiously.

"The seaheaven…" she mumbled, looking pathetically lost. Jude sighed tiredly.

"You don't know where it is, do you?" Jude asked, sounding very unamused. Milla turned to face Jude as she pointed in the opposite direction.

"The seaheaven's this way, follow me" Jude stated, walking ahead as Milla followed closely behind her.

As they stepped closer to the edge of the seaheaven, Jude looked around herself.

"Hold it you two!" called out a voice as Jude turned, looking behind her as a bunch of soldiers approached the two of them.

"What's going on?" Jude asked, looking at all the soldiers as Milla stood beside her.

"Doctor? Doctor Jude? From the medical school?" asked a male voice that caught Jude's attention. Looking at the unmasked guard, she gasped.

"Mr. Eldin? What're you doing here?" Jude asked, recognizing him as the man she'd treated earlier that day. The man looked down sadly.

"I can't believe you're the one we're looking for… Jude Mathis, I have a warrant here for your arrest. There's one for her too" Mr. Eldin informed her, looking up at her with a stern glare. Jude gasped, looking shocked.

"What!? H-Hold on a minute! We may have done a little breaking and entering, but that hardly makes us public enemy number one! Besides, shouldn't you be more worried by what's going on in Laforte Research Centre? They're doing human experimentation and killing people in there!" Jude exclaimed, trying to plead her case to Mr. Eldin. Mr. Eldin's eyes widened in shock at what she said, however his expression returned to stern.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I have my orders…" he apologized, holding his staff ready to attack if necessary. Jude called out his name again, trying to plead to him.

"So much for that. It doesn't look like they're listening" Milla stated, placing a hand on her hip. Jude clenched her hands tightly.

"Mr. Eldin!" she pleaded, her knees shaking. Milla suddenly stood in front of her, drawing her sword.

"Milla!?" she asked, blinking at Milla in shock. Milla turned to look at her with a kind smile.

"I can't let them capture me Jude… I have to resist" Milla explained, getting ready to attack.

"Then we'll do it the hard way. Go on, get her" Mr. Eldin informed the spellcaster, who summoned a raging fireball, sending it flying towards Jude and Milla. Milla leaned to the side as Jude stepped out the way. The fireball narrowly missed them and flew towards the stall of the seaheaven. Jude turned to watch the sailors narrowly jump out the way. The explosion was huge, causing her hair to blow around madly from the force of it. When she turned to look back at the guards, they didn't even seem concerned about the fact that civilians had almost gotten involved in the blast. A horn blasting caught Jude's attention as the ship began to pull out the harbor. Milla had begun backing away, sheathing her sword.

"This is goodbye Jude… Forgive me for this…" Milla apologized, turning and beginning to run to the ship. Jude remained frozen in shock. She'd just been ditched and left to take the fall. The guards began approaching her.

"Think your next move over carefully Doc, the more trouble you give us, the harder your sentence will be" warned Mr. Eldin as he approached the wide eyed, trembling Jude.

"I… I just wanted to…" Jude stuttered, looking down and closing her eyes as she braced herself for what was about to befall her. Suddenly she could hear grunts and groans from people around her, so looking up, she gasped as she saw a man swinging his arms around and knocking out the four guards. Jude watched, wide eyed, as she studied her new savior. He was older than her, but a good few years, with dark brown, slicked back hair, brown eyes, tanner skin than hers, and was wearing a fancy designed brown trench coat with a black and orange scarf. He was also very, very handsome. Once all the guards were down, unconscious, the man straightened his scarf, turning to smirk lightly at Jude.

"Well aren't these guys heroic, protecting the world from pipsqueaks like you…" the man stated, turning to look at her. Jude merely stood there, stunned.

"What!?" she managed to squeak out before the man suddenly took a step forward, wrapping his arm over her shoulders. He was heavy as he leaned his weight into her shoulders.

"Listen here kid. There's not much time to decide. With the government powers act invoked, you're an X marked criminal. If they catch you, you'll face… execution" the man explained. At the word, Jude felt her stomach do a painful somersault.

"What!? Execution!?" she squeaked again, her voice actually squeaking due to her shock. The man smirked.

"Come on, your lovely lady friend's about to set sail!" the man exclaimed, turning to see soldiers running towards them. Before Jude could say or think anything, her wrist was suddenly grabbed as the man pulled her along behind him. She was practically pulled off her feet as they ran to the burning stall of the seaheaven, trying to catch up to the departing boat. Suddenly Jude was picked up by around her waist as the man held her under his arm, jumping up onto a plank of wood on a crane nearby. He began running to the edge, about to jump from the plank to the boat.

"Hope you're sturdier than you look!" the man said, launching from the plank and flying towards the boat. Jude's eyes and mouth were open wide as they flew, hitting the deck harshly. Jude was sent flying a few metres as she rolled onto her side. The man had landed on his rear, only bouncing about half a metre. Milla had been standing at the side, watching them curiously. A sailor ran up to the two of them.

"What's going on here?!" he exclaimed, making the man look at him.

"The military's doing drills on shore, we were just getting out of their way. Come on, do you really think a pretty girl, a pipsqueak and a dashing man like me would be up to no good?" he explained, making the sailor frown, but he didn't question him any further. Jude groaned in pain as she struggled to pull herself up to her knees.

"Sorry about that, you alright?" asked the male as he stepped closer to Jude, offering her a hand up. Jude looked up at him, reaching a hand up and letting herself be pulled up to her feet. Wincing suddenly, she held her right elbow in her left hand.

"Ow, might've damaged my elbow…" Jude hissed, lifting her left hand and began casting a healing arte on herself to fix the damage to her elbow. Looking up at the man, she raised a brow.

"Um…" Jude began before the man cut her off.

"It's Alvin" he stated, making Jude look up at him in confusion.

"That's my name. You said that you're Jude, right?" he asked, making Jude look down, nodding her head.

"Y-Yeah…" she stuttered, looking down shyly. A hand landed on her shoulder, but she didn't even look up at him.

"Hang in there kid, it'll be okay" Alvin reassured her, giving her a stern but gentle look. Jude could only sigh in response.

Later that day, Jude remained where she'd been standing hours ago, watching the sea from the edge of the boat, leaning her hands on the railing. Sighing for what felt like the fifteenth time that day, she stared out at the water, watching the ripples that formed. Hearing footsteps and talking behind her, she realized Milla and Alvin had approached her from behind. Reaching behind her, she grabbed the blue ribbon she used to tie her hair back, pulling it out and allowing her black, waist long hair to dance around in the wind.

"I've been meaning to ask you this for a while Alvin, but why did you save Jude and me anyway?" Milla asked, making Jude turn to glance at them. Reaching up, she brushed some stray locks of hair from around her shoulders.

"Well, cash of course!" Alvin explained. Jude's eyes widened at what he said, turning slightly to face them, her hand holding the ribbon still holding onto the railing.

"How does saving us make you money?" Jude asked, tilting her head curiously. Alvin chuckled, folding his arms over his chest.

"Simple! I figured you two must be in some serious trouble if the military's after you, so as a mercenary, I rescued you so I could charge you for my services" Alvin explained. Jude's expression fell into unamused as she looked at Alvin.

"Charge us what? I'm broke" Jude exclaimed, watching as Milla raised her hand in agreement. Alvin's eyes widened as he looked at the two of them skeptically.

"Seriously? I take more than just cash you know… Got any jewels, treasures, rich relatives about to croak?" Alvin asked, looking desperate. Jude shook her head sadly, sighing.

"Nothing… Everything happened so quickly, I didn't have time to even grab my purse with the small amount of money I had…" Jude explained, leaning back against the railing as her upper body lent over the railing. Gripping the railing in both hands, her hair began dancing around in the breeze.

"I still can't believe we're going to be heading to Auj Oule…" Jude mumbled, watching as the spirit clime suddenly shifted, sending them from a permanent night time to a bright, sunny day.

"I'm sorry Alvin, it would seem you helped us for free" Milla apologized, not realizing she was just adding salt to the wounds. Alvin sighed to himself, walking to the railing and standing beside Jude.

"Ah, it's a risk of the trade. Charity work, wonderful. Are we there yet…?" Alvin asked, leaning over the railing with his arms, looking down at Jude's face as she stood herself back up, holding onto the railing with her hands as she faced it.

"So, you said you were a med student, right? I wouldn't have expected that from your appearance" Alvin asked, making Jude turn to look at him.

"Yeah, I was about to be made the Professor's personal assistant. Then we went into the Laforte Research Centre and well… The professor ended up getting involved in the human experimentation happening there… I watched as the last of his mana got sucked up and he disappeared before my very eyes… All I could do was hit the glass casing as hard as I could, but I couldn't get him out in time…" Jude explained, looking down sadly as Alvin's expression softened. Milla stood on the other side of Jude, looking at her in pity.

"It was unavoidable. By the time we made it inside, he'd been in the machine for hours already. There was no saving him even if we had gotten him out" Milla stated, making Jude's shoulders flinch. She knew that, but it didn't stop the painful squeezing of her heart when she heard those words. 'There was no saving him. He was dead the moment she got there'. Alvin noticed this, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Milla, that's a little insensitive, don't you think? Jude here seemed pretty close to this professor of hers" Alvin asked, giving Jude's shoulder a gentle squeeze. Milla tilted her head, puzzled.

"Insensitive? I only stated a fact… Jude should stop blaming herself for the professor's death, it wasn't of her options that led to his demise" Milla explained, folding her arms over her chest. Jude's eyes lowered as she looked down sadly. Sighing loudly, she looked up to give Alvin a small smile.

"It's alright… She's right, I gotta stop blaming myself… It's hard, but I know we'll get through this eventually" Jude stated, seeing Alvin look at her in concern. This was going to be a long voyage, at least a few days, and Jude's mourning of the Professor was beginning to eat at her slowly.


	3. Mourning and Loss

**_Chapters that are made up of skits, short parts, funny moments and stuff like this one will be labelled as .5 of the chapter. It may include moments in the previous chapter that I couldn't add because it would get too long. So enjoy this .5 chapter and look forward to more._**

_Tales of Xillia – Hope and Destiny_

_Chapter 2.5_

_Mourning and Loss_

**_Missing Scene – Restless Night_**

Milla, Alvin and Jude were all forced to share the same room, with only two beds and a chair. Jude looked around at their predicament, wondering how they were going to solve this problem. Alvin scratched his head, looking at Jude and Milla. Milla merely folded her arms over her chest, tilting her head.

"Well this is quite the predicament… There are only two beds and yet there are three of us… Does the captain not know how to count?" Milla asked, sounding completely oblivious as she said it. Jude looked at her with an unamused expression.

"More than likely, this was the only room available. We did arrive on board without any advance notice or booking…" Jude explained, sighing to herself. Alvin glanced at her, worriedly, before walking to the seat and sitting down.

"Take the beds ladies. I'll take the chair" Alvin stated, making Jude look at him like he was delusional.

"What? No. It's not fair for you to have to take the chair. I don't care if your reasoning is we're girls and you're a boy, the answer is no. Milla? You don't mind sharing one of the beds with me, do you?" Jude asked, turning to look at Milla. Milla chuckled lightly to herself.

"Why would I mind Jude? That's the natural solution when there are more people than beds, right?" she asked, making a small smile form on Jude's face. Turning to look back at Alvin, she waved him off the chair.

"There, you heard her. Go claim a bed, we'll take the other" Jude instructed, practically pushing Alvin off the chair. He stumbled forward, turning to look back at Jude.

"Whoa there! Fine… I'll pick the bed furthest from the window" Alvin stated, rather unhappily. Sitting down on the bed, Jude turned to smile back at Milla. Milla walked to the side of their bed facing Alvin, sitting down and began staring at Alvin. Jude sat behind her on the opposite side of the bed, staring out the window. Her mind drifted off to reliving the Professor's dying moments. She remembered the pain she'd felt at not being able to save him, feeling that invisible hand come and squeeze her heart painfully.

The Professor had become like the father figure she felt she didn't have in her life. While his age made him easily 'grandfather' material, she still considered him more a paternal figure. Though there were times when the Professor had kind of stepped over her personal boundaries, such as placing a hand on her knee once or twice, or looking at her in a weird way. But luckily it had rarely happened. Jude wasn't a very touchy, feely person, so she saw no actual harmful intent coming from those actions, but that just proved her oblivious nature. She couldn't tell when someone was hinting at something, even if they smacked her in the face with it. Had the Professor been doing that or was he just being genuinely friendly? People showed their affection in such different ways, it was difficult to tell.

"Uh, Jude? Is there any chance you and Milla could switch sides?" Alvin suddenly asked, snapping Jude from her thoughts. She turned her head to look at Alvin, wondering why he wanted them to switch suddenly.

"What's wrong Alvin?" Milla asked, also confused. Alvin was looking very uncomfortable where he was sitting.

"Uh, Milla's constant staring is starting to get a little unnerving… It's like she doesn't blink…" Alvin answered, sweat falling down the side of his face. Jude gave a weak smile, tapping Milla's shoulder as she turned to look at her. Nodding her head, Jude crawled onto the bed as Milla stood and walked around, sitting where Jude had been sitting. Jude sat where Milla had sat.

"That better?" Jude asked, seeing Alvin nod in appreciation.

"Not that I don't find your lady friend very pretty, I just get the feeling you won't stare at me like some kind of possessed zombie or something…" Alvin explained, chuckling lightly.

"I wasn't staring that intently, was I?" Milla asked, hearing Alvin chuckle more to himself.

"You'd be surprised Milla, your looks could drill holes in people if you tried…" Alvin stated, seeing a weak smile form on Jude's face. A smile formed on Alvin's face, feeling like he'd just accomplished a great feat. He was worried about the young girl, knowing how sensitive a female's emotions and memories could make her, and knew she wasn't going to get much sympathy or compassion from her other travelling companion. Someone had to help the younger girl, right?

"I fail to see what's so intimidating about my looks… I had my appearance specially designed to attract the opposite gender… Don't tell me it's failed…" Milla stated, making Jude burst into hysterical giggles. Alvin raised a brow, failing to have seen what was so funny. Milla turned to look at Jude, raising a brow as well.

"You don't have to worry about that Milla. Your looks could attract any man, even some women too" Jude reassured her, seeing the pleased smile form on Milla's face. Alvin tilted his head, really confused now.

"Sorry, don't worry about it Alvin. Just consider it 'girl talk'" Jude apologized, smiling at him.

"Right… I'm hitting the hay you two… Night" Alvin replied, laying back on the bed and closing his eyes as he crossed his arms behind his head. Jude smiled, nodding her head before closing her eyes in thought.

-Later-

Alvin opened his eyes after a while, turning to see Milla and Jude were both laying on the bed, back to back. He got a glimpse of Jude's face as she lay there with her eyes closed. She looked like an angel, with a perfectly developed face, soft skin, long eye lashes, and the cutest little face. Sure, she was a little young, but Alvin didn't mind. He was fine with waiting until she grew interested in men. It was upon this thought that he noticed the crease in her brow. She also had her teeth grit as if she were in the midst of a nightmare. She grit her teeth tighter, clutching at the pillow and sheets under her tighter. Alvin's expression grew stern as he sat up, leaning over the edge of his bed to watch her. When she started making noises in her sleep, Alvin knew it was time to wake her. Gently grabbing her shoulder, he gave her a gentle shake.

"Jude… wake up…" Alvin whispered, not wanting to wake Milla up. Jude's eyes shot open in a gasp as her vision blurred, finally focusing on Alvin's face. He was frowning but he also looked concerned.

"You were in the middle of a nightmare… I thought it'd be best to wake you before you woke Milla up…" Alvin explained, seeing Jude sit up, rubbing at her eyes before looking at her hands to see wet patches on them.

"I was… crying?" Jude asked, sounding confused. Alvin gave a small sigh, before patting the spot next to him where he sat. Jude tilted her head in confusion.

"Sit, you can talk to me if you want… I know I'm not much of a touchy, feely, emotions guy, but I can't stand seeing a girl cry" Alvin explained. Jude gave a small giggle before she stood, sitting next to Alvin. Alvin turned his head to look at her.

"So, I'm all ears if you want to talk. Or if you just want to sit in silence here with me, either is fine" Alvin stated, looking out the window which was shining in moonlight. Jude joined him in looking out the window at the moon.

"Well… Where do I start? I was back in Laforte, in the room the Professor died in… I was standing in front of the machine the Professor was in, watching him struggle in agony before he disappeared. As I fell to my knees and began crying, that girl in red suddenly attacked and quickly defeated me. I was about to be shoved into the same machine the Professor had died in when you woke me. I'm kinda shocked that Milla didn't show up to save me at the point she actually did…" Jude explained, seeing Alvin turn to glance at her.

"A girl in red attacked you?" Alvin asked, sounding confused. Jude nodded.

"Yeah, she was in the room the Professor died in. She was going to do to me what had happened to the Professor and was close to succeeding when Milla appeared and we managed to knock her out. I don't know where she came from or what her issue was, but she was almost insane…" Jude stated, shuddering at the thought of her. Alvin chuckled at little when he saw her shudder.

"I dunno… But she sounds like someone you don't wanna meet in a dark alley way, that's for sure…" Alvin joked, chuckling to himself. Jude giggled a little at his joke as well, nodding. Jude looked down at her knees before looking up at Alvin.

"Well, I should head back to bed, and I guess I should let you get some more sleep too" Jude stated, smiling as she stood and walked back to her own bed. Laying down, she rested her head on the pillow. Alvin laid back on his bed, laying on his side as he watched Jude close her eyes, trying to get back to sleep. He remained like that for a while, making sure she slipped back into a peaceful sleep, before allowing his eyes to close. He drifted off, not needing to wake up again that night as they all slept peacefully.

**_Missing Scene – Mournful Dance_**

It was the second day aboard the ship, heading towards Auj Oule. Alvin had been talking to the Captain of the ship again and was walking around, trying to find Milla or Jude. He'd prefer to find Jude rather than Milla though. Milla was a little hard to talk to and understand, she was different. She was definitely a character all her own. Jude however, she was what Alvin would class as an adorable little girl, maybe someone he could view as a little sister one day. Thinking of Jude, his mind recapped to the previous night. The poor girl was suffering from a painful loss, and she seemed very distraught. Alvin couldn't understand why she was mourning the death of her teacher so much, didn't most students hate their teachers? But Jude seemed to really like this teacher. He remembered the tears on her face when she'd been having the nightmare and instantly felt a small pain in his chest. He hated seeing girls cry, it was the one thing he hated in this world. He wanted to make sure she'd never cry like that again, but he knew that was impossible. He'd hurt her down the track eventually, it was inevitable.

Walking up the steps to the top of the boat, he stopped when he saw a familiar figure moving gracefully along the roof of the ship. Her black hair danced behind her and her legs and arms moved gracefully as if she were fighting incredibly slowly. Her eyes were closed as she jumped and stepped across the boat, focusing as her hands moved around, performing a type of Tai-chi dance. Alvin could only watch for a few second in amazement. No doubt she was practicing her fighting, but the dance was incredible to watch. During her dance however, Jude was getting closer and closer to the railing that led down to the bottom deck. As she stepped back, about to hit the railing, Alvin dashed forward and grabbed her around the waist, holding her there.

"Whoa there twinkle toes! You trying to fall ten feet down?" Alvin warned, watching Jude's eyes shoot open as she looked at him. She seemed confused, and her cheeks were turning a light pink at just how close he was to her. He was practically leaning over her as she leaned over the railing a little, his arm firmly around her waist.

"W-What?" Jude managed to squeak out, looking up at him with wide eyes. Alvin chuckled, standing up straight, pulling her up with him, but still kept a hand around her waist.

"You were about to dance yourself off the edge" Alvin explained, seeing Jude's cheeks suddenly turn bright red.

"I wasn't dancing Alvin! I was practicing my martial arts" Jude denied, glaring at him slightly as she knocked his arm off her waist. Alvin waved his arms in the air for a few seconds.

"Whatever you say. It just looked more like a dance to me, seen as you were doing it that slowly" Alvin explained, seeing her cheeks remain red as she looked at the ground awkwardly.

"Think whatever you want…" Jude mumbled, turning away from Alvin. Alvin sighed to himself, knowing he shouldn't take what she said seriously. They remained like that for about half a minute.

"Thank you…" Jude finally mumbled, still facing away from Alvin. Alvin raised a brow, not sure if he heard her right.

"Say what? I didn't hear you Jude…" Alvin asked, scratching his head. Jude turned to glare at him slightly, her cheeks red.

"I said thank you…" Jude said, a little louder. Alvin's face turned into a large smile as he ruffled her hair in his hand.

"No problem kid" he stated, earning a glare from Jude as she smacked his hand off.

"I'm not a kid. Call me that again and I'll hit you" she warned, seeing Alvin only chuckle in response.

"Whatever you say, kid" Alvin teased, but he suddenly regretted it the moment he saw the look in Jude's eyes. She glared darkly at him, then pulled her arms back as if she'd begun dancing again, then shot them forward, hitting Alvin painfully in the arm. Alvin cringed, gritting his teeth as he grabbed his arm, stepping back and yelping in pain.

"Ow! Geez, you're a lot stronger than you look, that's for sure!" Alvin whined, rubbing where he'd been hit. Jude only turned away, huffing to herself.

**_Skits_**

_What did I just say?!_

Alvin: So, it should only be one more night before we arrive in Auj Oule.

Milla: I'm looking forward to seeing the area on our way back to Nia Khera.

Jude: As am I. I'm looking forward to seeing Nia Khera more than anything. I'd love to see where you grew up Milla.

Alvin: Nia Khera? Isn't that a place of legends?

Jude: Yeah, it's where Maxwell originates from. Most kids learn about it in their first years of school.

Alvin: Well, let's just say I wasn't an honours student like you kid.

Jude: Alvin? What did you just say? Don't tell me your arm has already forgotten?

Milla: Hm?

Alvin: Gah! Ah, I mean… W-W… What would you prefer I called you then?

Jude: I don't care, just not kid, otherwise I'll have to teach your other arm a painful lesson too.

Alvin: Gotcha, understood.

Milla: I fail to understand what just happened…

Alvin: Um, nevermind Milla… Just Jude telling me what she likes and what she doesn't like…

Milla: Ah, so she's being dominant in your relationship?

Alvin: W-What!?

Jude: W-Where the heck did you think of that!?

Milla: I read it in a book. It was called 'Setting up your romantic relationship'.

Jude: I don't know why you thought of that but that has nothing to do what the topic at hand…

Alvin: Yeah, as if I'd be in a relationship with the kid here already!

Jude: Alvin… What did you just call me?

Alvin: Gah! U-Uh… Sorry Milla, gotta run!

-Alvin and Jude suddenly dash off-

Milla: Heh. Those two are already so close… I'm almost jealous…


	4. From Me to You

**_Thank you so much Mage of Hope for all the new ideas for plot and scenes. I will definitely be using one of the scenes in this chapter, so look forward to seeing it. As for the rest of you, thank you so much for all the nice reviews and I happily give you the next chapter of the story. Enjoy!_**

_Tales of Xillia – Hope and Destiny_

_Chapter 3_

_From Me to You_

When the ship finally docked at the seaheaven, Jude stretched her arms as she stepped onto the port. Alvin and Milla followed closely behind, looking around.

"So this is Auj Oule… Strange… It looks and feels just like home…" Jude stated to herself, turning to look at her two travelling companions. Alvin flashed her a smile.

"Well this part of Auj Oule is hardly what I'd call exotic. Get further in and you'll start noticing a difference" Alvin explained, piquing Jude's curiosity.

"You've been here before Alvin?" she asked, tilting her head curiously. Alvin smirked, nodding his head.

"Yep, been here a few times on business. This your first time leaving Rashugal?" Alvin asked, seeing Jude nod in response. Turning to look back at the seaheaven, Jude paused as she noticed the giant notice board.

"There's a map! I'll go take a look at it" Jude stated, walking off to the map. Milla approached Alvin, putting a hand on her hip.

"Glad to see she's taking this seriously" Milla stated, hearing Alvin chuckle a little. Alvin turned to look at her.

"Didn't you drag her into this in the first place?" Alvin questioned, raising a brow. Milla gave him a stern look, putting her other hand on her waist as well.

"She insisted on helping me. I told her time and time again to go home, but she just wouldn't listen" Milla explained, seeing Alvin fold his arms over his chest.

"Really? From what Jude told me, it sounds more like you didn't give her a choice in the matter at first. She went to go get her paper and met you, but her way back had disappeared so she had no choice but to follow you" Alvin replied, seeing Milla look shocked. He couldn't help but chuckle, seeing the look for the first time on her face since he met her.

"You outta show a little sympathy for the poor kid. You did kinda drag her into this" Alvin stated, seeing Milla put a hand to her chin, pondering the thought.

"Hm… You prove a valid point… I'll have to think about it…" Milla replied, seeing Jude walk up to them.

"You said you needed to get to Nia Khera, right Milla? According to the map, Hamil is north of here. And if I recall the legends, Nia Khera is close to Hamil" Jude asked, seeing Milla nod to herself.

"That's correct. Guess we're heading North then" Milla stated, seeing Jude look up at her. Alvin glanced at them.

"So what, the two of you are heading off now?" Alvin asked, seeing Milla turn to look at him. She shook her head, catching Jude off guard.

"No. Alvin, you must be well versed with a sword. Mercenaries like you must have some battle chops" she stated, seeing Alvin's eyes widen. He chuckled, looking a little embarrassed.

"Well, yeah. Line of the work" Alvin replied. Milla folded her arms over her chest.

"Think you could teach me?" Milla suddenly asked, making both Jude and Alvin look shocked.

"What? Well, sure… I mean, I could… But… You know… What's in it for me?" Alvin asked, looking very startled. Jude looked between the two of them, not knowing what to think about any of this. Milla frowned in thought.

"Hm… Guess you'll require money then… Unfortunately, I don't have anything…" Milla stated, pondering in thought. Alvin looked around, scratching at his cheek to try and find a solution. He then noticed the notice board, letting out a triumphant 'aha!'.

"W-What is it Alvin?" Jude stuttered, having jumped back at his sudden personality change. Alvin smirked at the two ladies.

"Well, we can take on some mercenary jobs, so we get some money while Milla gets the training she needs. Sounds pretty good, right?" Alvin explained, seeing Jude place a finger near her temple, frowning in thought. In Jude's head, the high pitched ringing had begun again. It always happened when she was deep in thought.

"Alvin's right… It does seem like the most logical solution anyway. I'm impressed Alvin" Jude stated, smiling at Alvin. Alvin blinked, taken aback by the girl's sudden smile, then frowned.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" he asked sarcastically, beginning to approach the younger girl. Jude's eyes widened when she saw the mercenary approach her, then turned, beginning to try and run away before Alvin's arm snaked around her neck, pulling her back. Jude gagged a little at the sudden pressure around her neck, then suddenly felt her shoulder smack against the mercenary's chest. Her cheeks were beginning to heat up, being this close to an older male. She looked up at Alvin, seeing the grin on his face.

"I didn't quite hear you there Miss Honour's Student. Care to repeat that to the class?" Alvin asked sarcastically, leaning his face close to Jude's ear. Jude's face only lit up like a beacon as she stomped on his foot. Alvin let out a yelp, letting Jude go as she took off in a dash to Milla. Alvin grabbed his foot, hopping around for a little before he chuckled, looking at how Jude was hiding behind Milla a little. Milla had been quite amused by their little exchange, looking between the two of them. Jude was just pouting, sort of hiding in Milla's hair, but Alvin could see the pink on her cheeks. Giving a small chuckle, he turned and walked to a lady that was standing by the notice board. Jude peeked out a little from in Milla's hair, watching Alvin leave.

"You worried about him?" Milla asked, seeing Jude look up at her, startled.

"W-What? No… I couldn't care less about the guy… I-I mean… Well…" Jude stuttered, her face turning redder. Milla just giggled at this, smiling in amusement.

"You really are so… human Jude" Milla stated, seeing the pout on Jude's face. Alvin approached the two of them, seeing Jude duck back behind Milla. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

"We got a job! There are some monsters on the Aladhi Trail that need exterminating! Now all Milla needs is some basic training, then we can go get this cash" Alvin stated, seeing Milla look up with a happy smile. Jude peeked out again, nodding.

"That's wonderful news Alvin. Jude, do you mind sitting down and waiting for us to finish practicing?" Milla stated, seeing Jude look up and nod. She walked over to the nearby bench and sat down, bringing her knees up to her chest. Hugging them, she let out a small sigh. She thought over how she'd gotten into this situation. What she could've done differently to prevent ending up like this, and what she was going to do now. Milla noticed this after she'd drawn her sword to pretend fight against Alvin.

"Jude. You should think about your situation carefully. You no longer have to stay with me anymore. You're free to do as you wish. However, if you choose to stay with me, I can put a good word in for you with the people of Nia Khera. You'd be welcomed there among them" Milla offered, seeing Jude's eyes widen, blinking at her in shock. She almost couldn't believe Milla had offered such a nice thing to her. She smiled sadly back at Milla.

"Sorry, give me a little time to think about it. I'll be decided before you head off" Jude apologized, seeing Milla nod to herself.

"It's alright. It's a big decision to make. I understand that" Milla reassured her, then turned back to facing Alvin. As they continued to practice, Alvin glanced over to see how Jude was doing. He noticed she was looking very tired. Raising a brow in consideration, he focused more on her face. She had some dark lines under her eyes, seeing the whites of her eyes looking a little red. Had she slept at all the previous night?

-later-

After some more practicing, they began heading out to the Aladhi Trail where the unusual monsters were located. Upon approaching the area, they'd found numerous monsters. They'd even tried Linked Combat and Linked Artes. Upon reaching the West Branch of the Aladhi Trail, they stopped when they spotted some unusual fauna for the area.

"Those must be our targets" Milla stated, drawing her sword to get ready to fight. Alvin drew his gun and sword, preparing himself as well. Jude adjusted her gauntlets, preparing herself. The monsters turned, noticing them and dove in to attack.

"Looks like we get one each! Come on everyone!" Alvin stated, dashing to his selected monster to beat it. Milla ran to her monster as Jude let her monster run to her. When it got close enough, Jude launched herself forward, smacking her fist into the monster and sent it flying a little. Running to catch up the distance, she quickly back-stepped behind it, then jumped up, kicking the monster in the head. It hit the ground painfully, but it stood back up.

Jude huffed to herself, realizing this monster was stronger than the ones they'd been fighting previously. It dashed at her, striking but she crossed her arms together, blocking the attack. She skidded back a little, feeling the edge behind her heels. Behind her was a large pool of water. Glaring, she inhaled deeply, putting all her strength into one attack. She ran forward, dodging an attack from the monster and smashed her fist into the monster's chest. She heard multiple loud cracks, seeing the monster fall to the ground in a heap. It completely stopped moving. The fight was over for Jude and the monster, but Jude was left standing there, panting heavily as she held her knees in her hands.

"Done!" Alvin called out, hearing Milla finish off the last of her monster. They both turned to see how Jude was doing, seeing her monster on the ground, dead, and Jude doubled over in a panting mess.

"Jude?" Milla asked, sheathing her sword and walking to her. Alvin did the same, approaching her. Jude looked up at them weakly, her vision beginning to fade in and out from black. After a few seconds, her panting stopped as her eyes rolled up, her head crashing towards the ground. Alvin and Milla both gasped loudly, but Alvin was the only one that acted. He dove quickly, catching Jude's head before it hit the ground. Sighing in relief, he cradled the fallen girl in his arms. Milla ran to the other side, kneeling down to look at Jude in worry. Alvin checked her for a fever, but smiled gently when he realized there was none.

"She's alright… She's just exhausted…" Alvin explained, seeing Milla look up at him. She looked down at Jude's face, seeing how pale it was and the dark lines under Jude's eyes.

"We need to get back to the inn and let her rest…" Alvin stated, placing his hands under the girl's back and knees, lifting her up into his arms. She was surprisingly light, which surprised the mercenary again. When he'd carried her onto the ship he'd also been surprised at her weight. Turning to face Milla, he saw her nod and draw her sword. If they got caught into any fights, she'd be the only one able to fight and defend them. After walking around they reached the end of the Trail.

"Nngh..." Jude groaned as her vision started to clear. She found herself laying against something hard and it felt like she was floating. She tried to move but whoever held her tightened their grip, causing her to look up and see it was Alvin carrying her.

"Hey, wakey sleepyhead," teased Alvin, pinching her cheek.

"Alvin?!" Embarrassed, she struggled to get out of his grip but he was too strong. Instead she hid her face into his coat, hiding her flustered face.

"No need to be embarrassed! It's just you and me...and Milla" Alvin teased, chuckling.

"Alvin!" whined Jude. Alvin couldn't help but chuckle at her behavior, finding it adorable. After making sure she was definitely okay, he placed her on her feet. Milla explained what had happened after the fight and Jude apologized profusely. Alvin frowned at her.

"Well, do I dare ask how much sleep you got last night?" Alvin asked, hearing Jude stumble upon her words. She was hopeless at lying. At least in this scenario anyway.

"I think maybe half an hour?" Jude admitted, hearing Alvin sigh to himself. Jude looked down at the ground apologetically.

"S-Sorry… I just… had so much on my mind…" Jude apologized, her voice sounding like she was going to break into tears. Alvin began to panic, thinking he'd upset Jude. And if there was one thing he hated in this world, it was watching women cry.

"W-Well, make sure to rest when we get to the inn then" Alvin quickly said, trying to cheer her up a little. Jude beamed a sudden smile at him, making Alvin pause as he realized Jude had just played him like a fool. He gave her an unamused look, looking at the girl as he realized she was actually a really, really good actor. She knew how to get what she wanted, that was for sure. Milla had been oblivious and hadn't even noticed.

"Well, we'd best head to the inn. Come on you two, or I'll leave you behind" Milla stated, walking into the Alahdi Seaheaven they'd arrived at.

"H-Hang on Milla! We need to get the money from the job first!" Jude called out, running after her quickly. Alvin sighed to himself, then ran after them.

-later-

After they'd checked in the job and gotten the reward cash, Jude and Alvin began walking to the inn when they heard a loud crash sound. Turning, Jude gasped when she saw Milla's collapsed form on the ground.

"Two in one day?" Alvin questioned, seeing Jude run to Milla. Kneeling down, she put a hand to Milla's forehead.

"No fever… How do you feel?" Jude asked, seeing Milla just lay there.

"I don't seem to have any strength…" Milla replied, her stomach growling loudly.

"Um… when did you last eat?" Jude asked, hearing the loud growl.

"I've never eaten…" Milla replied, making Jude's eyes widen in shock.

"What, never!?" Jude exclaimed, her voice going higher pitched.

"Never… Through Undine, I drew substance from the Water, and through Sylph and Gnome I drew the remaining substances I needed from the Earth and Air" Milla explained. Alvin seemed really confused at this.

"Well, it looks like you're gonna have to nourish yourself the old fashioned way. Come on, let's get some food from the inn" Jude stated, offering Milla her hand. Milla took her hand, allowing herself to be pulled up.

"I see… So this is what you humans call hunger. Fascinating!" Milla stated, giggling happily. Alvin looked between the two of them, clearly confused.

Upon arriving at the inn and Jude cooking up some food, they all sat around the table, staring at three large bowls of stew. Milla looked at the bowl happily, then began scoffing it down quickly. Alvin ate some, then blinked down at the food. Had Jude really made this? If so, she'd just gone up in Alvin's books by a huge jump. Jude saw the pink tinge go on both Alvin's and Milla's cheeks. Smiling happily, she began eating her own food. After a little while, a smack made Jude and Alvin look to see Milla had passed out at the table. Giggling, Jude turned to look at Alvin.

"So… What was all that about earlier? About Sylph, Gnome and Undine? Aren't those three of the four Great Spirits?" Alvin asked, making Jude's smile fade as she looked down at Milla, wondering if it was alright for her to tell Alvin.

"Well… I know it may be hard to believe… but Milla's Maxwell. The Maxwell, the creator of Reiza Maxia. Her name is Milla Maxwell" Jude explained, seeing Alvin stutter in shock.

"Yeah, I know… I was shocked when I first learned it too…" Jude stated, giggling a little. Alvin looked down at Milla in disbelief.

"So… **_She's_** Maxwell huh?" Alvin whispered under his breath.


	5. Goodbye My Friend

**_This chapter is main story, but it's like a filler one too. So I'm just going to be putting it as a full chapter. Enjoy! And thank you so much for the nice reviews! Enjoy this chapter that is entirely my own writing, no actual plot in the Tales of Xillia game, but it is linked to the story. I actually wrote this chapter while listening to Old Friend by EarlyRise and The Escapist by Nightwish. Also sorry this chapter is so short._**

_Tales of Xillia – Hope and Destiny_

_Chapter 4_

_Goodbye My Friend_

Alvin tossed and turned in his sleep, gritting his teeth tightly. His dream had turned from something pleasant into what he wished he'd never see.

Alvin felt like his whole body had been sapped of all its strength. He lay on the ground, bruised, bloody and weak. He looked around, seeing people he'd never met before. They were all laying on the ground as well, bruised and in the same predicament as him. He noticed Jude and Milla were with him too, both laying weakly on the ground. There were in a dark building, it looked really fancy though. A big, buff man stood in front of them all, completely unscratched. He had a huge cross scar over his face, and a giant lance in his hand. The strangest part of this was that Alvin had no idea who the other people were. He heard a pained grunt though, and his vision focused on seeing Milla struggling to her feet. Jude called out to her, but Alvin couldn't hear what she said. Milla shouted something at the man with the cross on his face, but once again, it was muted. She grabbed her sword, running at the man, getting ready to strike when the man merely struck her once with his fist. She let out a scream as she flew backwards, smashing into the wall. Jude screamed out to her again, gritting her teeth tightly as she pulled herself up to her feet. Alvin gasped, looking at Jude in concern as he saw a small trail of blood run down her cheek.

The man smirked, making Jude growl to herself, then she looked up at him with a burning fire in her eyes. It was a determination Alvin had never seen in her eyes before. She let out a yell, running at the man now. The man tossed his lance away, readying his fists and blocked a few strikes from Jude, before he hit her, sending her back a few feet. She managed to block in time, looking up with a glare that could kill. She ran at him again, jumping under his swing, and launched a blow at his chest. He didn't even look phased by it, one hit to the side of her head sending her flying to the side a little.

"Jude!" Alvin called out, feeling panic and worry for the honor's student that he never thought he'd feel. Jude straightened herself up, huffing as she growled darkly. Milla had pulled herself up onto her elbows, looking at Jude and the man fighting in worry. She was too weak to stand anymore, but she continued yelling to Jude.

Jude ran at the man again, seeming to find strength from everyone's screaming and yelling. She dashed behind him, jumping up and spinning a little, aiming a kick at his head. Time seemed to slow down dramatically though as the man grabbed her ankle, gripping it tightly as he began spinning around, spinning Jude around. She grit her teeth tightly, being spun around before being launched up into the air. Jude's body twisted and turned unnaturally in the air as she flew really high into the air. Her body twisted so she was looking up at the glass ceiling. This lasted for a few milliseconds, but it felt longer, until her body began falling down towards the ground. Alvin felt his eyes widen considerably as he watched in horror, seeing her body hit the ground in a huge thud. Alvin felt his world slow down, gasping as he watched Jude lay on the ground, contorted into a painful position. Everything seemed to go black and white, freezing in place. Milla's face was frozen in shock, looking traumatized.

"Jude!" Alvin screamed out, trying to pull himself up onto his hands and knees. He seemed to be pinned down by some kind of invisible force however. He could hear the man laughing to himself, causing him to grit his teeth as he looked up with a glare. Suddenly the talking seemed to resume, allowing Alvin to hear everyone's words clearly.

"You are all powerless to stop me!" yelled the man, laughing. Milla growled, but her eyes remained open wide in horror.

"This can't be… Jude…" she stuttered, looking at Jude's body in sorrow. Suddenly Jude moved, making everyone's eyes snap open, looking at her. She slowly pulled herself to her feet, but she was still supporting herself with her hands on the ground. Crouched over like an animal, she growled. A sickening 'splat' made my stomach lurch as a pool of blood dropped from her, splashing onto the ground. A painful whimper filled the air, followed by more angry growls. When Jude lifted her head though, her eyes had changed colour to a deep, blood red. She growled, almost sounding like an animal.

"You see… that's where you're wrong!" she snapped, her voice a few octaves deeper than usual. I felt my eyes widen more, watching in horror as Jude stood upright, bending her right arm as it began to glow. The man smirked, repeating her movements.

"Interesting. Let's decide this in one strike, the winner being whoever wins against this one strike!" the man declared, his right fist glowing as well. Jude growled, colours flowing around her fist as it charged. Mimicking her actions, the man let out a loud yell. It was at this moment that Alvin realized what was going to happen.

"Jude! You're going to die if you lose!" Alvin shouted, trying to pry himself up to his feet, but the force had pinned him down more. Jude paid him no heed, lifting her right fist back, then ran at the man. The man did the same, sending his fist at Jude. Jude did the same, both of them letting out loud battle cries. The shockwave of their attacks meeting head on was almost enough to send everyone flying. Luckily that force was still holding everyone down. Colours and sparks flew everywhere as their yells filled the air. Milla gasped as she saw Jude beginning to skid back a little, but she was still maintaining her ground. The man as still yelling, glaring darkly at Jude, managing to push her back a little more, before Jude's yell suddenly grew ten times louder. She began pushing him back, taking a few steps forward slowly before she ended her yell, managing to disarm him and send him flying back at an incredible speed. He crashed into the throne in the room, making a pained sound as he hit. His body crumpled as he lost consciousness, falling limply into the chair.

Alvin's eyes slowly moved from the man to glance at Jude. Jude was panting heavily, hunched over weakly. Alvin could feel his eyes shaking as the force was lifted off him. He crawled to his hands and knees, instantly regretting it due to all the pain he was in. Jude turned to give them a weak smile. Alvin gasped, seeing the trails of blood running down her face and all the blood dripping from her hands onto the ground. There was a pool of blood forming under Jude at a rather alarming rate.

"Jude!" Milla called out, struggling to her feet. She gave Jude a smile of gratitude before that smile quickly fell into despair. Jude's smile remained, but her body gave out and she began falling backwards onto the ground. She landed with a thud, making everyone in the room gasp.

"JUDE!" Alvin shouted before his eyes snapped open. He shot up like a lightning bolt in bed, panting and covering his forehead with his hand. What had that been about? Alvin glanced across the room, seeing Jude sleeping contently in the bed next to his. She was curled up, clutching the blanket, her mouth slightly open as she breathed in and out contently. Alvin sighed in relief, then paused in thought. Why did he care about Jude so much suddenly? Was it cause she was small, frail and young? Was it cause she reminded him of himself back when he was that age? Alvin let out a shaky sigh, running his hand through his messed up hair.

"Something wrong? Is there any reason you're staring at Jude?" Milla suddenly asked from where she was sitting upright in her own bed. Alvin glanced up at her, sighing.

"Guess I can't hide anything from you, huh? Had a nightmare…" Alvin explained, seeing Milla fold her arms over her chest.

"I'm assuming Jude got hurt in this nightmare, with how intense you've been staring at her" Milla replied, hearing Alvin chuckle to himself.

"Yeah… Guess you can figure out anything" Alvin stated, chuckling to himself. Milla giggled a little at the compliment.

"You know… they say dreams show you humans your biggest fears and your deepest desires…" Milla said, making Alvin look up at her with a small gasp. He raised a brow in confusion, before looking down at Jude.

"How do you see Jude?" Milla asked, still giving Alvin an expressionless look.

"Well… it's hard to tell right now… But I know I want to protect her… I guess I see her as a little sister" Alvin replied, hearing Milla giggle to herself.

"You'll be surprised. Jude doesn't require much protecting, she knows how to look after herself. If anything, it's us that need to catch up to her" Milla stated, making Alvin look up at her. She had an amused look on her face, before she laid back down on the bed.

"Well, it's still late… Good night Alvin" Milla said, closing her eyes as she drifted off to sleep. Alvin sat up from his bed, leaning forward to watch Jude sleep. Milla was right. Even though Jude was young, small and frail looking, she was strong. Alvin remembered how she'd bested that big man in his dream, even though it had almost killed her. She really was in a league all her own, and everyone knew it but her. Alvin smiled sadly, watching Jude's cute expression as she slept so peacefully. The dark lines under her eyes were vanishing, thankfully. Alvin reached forward, gently stroking some hair from her face, then cursed himself under his breath. He stood, hearing the snores of both Milla and Jude. He walked to the foot of the beds, then turned to look at the two of them.

Lifting his gun, he pointed it in Jude's direction, glaring at her. He never let himself get emotional attachments, no matter what kind. His finger began squeezing on the trigger before he suddenly lowered his gun, releasing his finger from the trigger. Letting out a shy, he looked down at his arm which was shaking madly. He couldn't do it. He couldn't shoot the kid, and he knew he wouldn't be able to when the time arose either. Milla would be an entirely different story though. His duty demanded it. Otherwise… Alvin shook himself of the thought, placing the gun down and walking out the room. He grabbed a piece of paper and began scribbling a note on it. Folding the paper up, he whistled into the air. A white bird flew down, resting on Alvin's wrist. He smiled, placing the paper on the bird's foot.

"Go on" Alvin whispered, sending his beloved sylphjay away. It flapped its wings, taking off into the air and disappeared from sight. Alvin smiled sadly, feeling that guilt he always felt whenever he betrayed someone, but he had no choice in the matter. Turning, he walked into the room they were sleeping in, and sat down on the bed. Looking down at Jude and Milla sleeping, he sighed to himself before he laid back. He knew it was inevitable, but eventually he would fully betray them and they would hate him for it. He was prepared for that day, and no doubt, they would fight him. He would need to shoot them, that was undeniable. If he did it sooner though, he could spare himself the pain of multiple attachments, but after that scene of not being able to shoot Jude, he knew that was impossible.


End file.
